‘The random interviews with Indian youth had politically controversial overtones’
The removal of “objectionable” works of art is a commonplace event in the galleries of the Chinese capital, where a government that is wary of any political dissent keeps a close watch on artists and their work.
On Tuesday, however, one of Beijing’s most well-known art galleries received a censorship request of a different kind: it was told to remove a work deemed “offensive” not by the Communist Party’s censors, but by the Indian government officials.
The “Indian Highway” contemporary art show, curated by Julia Peyton-Jones and Hans Ulrich Obrist of London’s Serpentine Gallery, has been displayed in more than four countries since its 2008 inauguration in the British capital, travelling to Oslo, Lyon and Rome.
The show opened in Beijing on June 23. The biggest ever display of Indian art in China, it has attracted more than a thousand visitors daily and as many as 10,000 guests on one weekend, according to organisers and Indian officials.
But after a media report on Tuesday pointed out that one of the exhibits of the show, which showcases more than 200 works by 29 artists and has been running for one month, included a four-minute video installation that featured interviews, discussing the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, the Indian government told the host gallery in Beijing to remove the installation.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials told reporters in New Delhi that the video, which had “random interviews” with Indian youth, had some “politically controversial overtones.” “The MEA took it up with the organisers who have removed the clip,” the officials told a briefing.
The 2003 video by Tejal Shah, called “I Love My India,” focuses, according to a description by the Serpentine Gallery, on “the ignorance and lack of understanding of the genocide against the Muslim minority in Gujarat in 2002.”
The video on Gujarat was not displayed when the show was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador S. Jaishankar in Beijing on June 23.
The organisers had, at the opening, cited technical problems with some of the installations. But other videos displaying the troubles in the Northeast and abuses by the Indian Army were displayed at the opening.
When asked about the videos at the inauguration, Indian officials pointed out that as the show was privately curated by the Serpentine Gallery, they neither sought to give their consent nor look to formally approve of the works of art.
Officials said they wanted to show the Chinese audiences the diversity of opinion in democratic India.
The Indian government’s involvement, the officials added, was only limited to covering the air fares of two artists – photographer Dayanita Singh and sculptor Sudarshan Shetty – who travelled to Beijing for the inauguration. Most of the show’s costs were being borne by the privately-run Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA), one of the Beijing’s most prominent art galleries.
Philip Tinari, UCCA’s director, could not be reached for comment on why the gallery removed the exhibit. The Serpentine Gallery in London had not yet responded to queries sent by The Hindu on Tuesday.
Keywords: Controversial video, Beijing art gallery
Only in India we let people talk whatever they want about our country, we let US and
western countries draw India map however they want and draw whatever conclusions they
want about any event..because we ourselves dont care and remember anything about
mumbai shootings or coimbatore bombings.. Unfortunately we are all passive to everything.
Will China let their oppression of tibet video to be shown there...think about it people. US or
other countries it is different.
@ dear Abner, Every Indian has right to voice, but we also have a responsibility and duty to protect our integrity. They can voice inside
India, but that too not certainly in China.
Let the show run. There is more freedom of expression in India than in the so-called developed democracies of the West. Spend some time in the West and you'll begin to appreciate the fine-meshed filtering of news which reaches you in the "free world". At least India doesn't call itself perfect. The Westerners do.
Strange how the Indian government can get the gallery to remove the
exhibit in China, where as in India there would have been a HUGE fuss.
The host country also has similar problems and experiences. Our media
already did the job of dissemination. Nothing to hide;though,the
incidents took place in Gujarat are highly regrettable.Resurfacing of
photos/video is acceptable. India is a vibrant democracy. Though we are
second to China economically,we are head and shoulders above China in
democracy and free press.
there they won't let democracy shadow the shadow structure, would they?
[Officials said they wanted to show the Chinese audiences the diversity of opinion in democratic India.] Mission accomplished... kind of.
In the latter case we can could put hundreds of exhbitions both here
and at China(?)_of what China is doing in Uighurland and other ethnic
minority areas trampling their culture and religion and traditions. .
Orchesterised interviews do not give the correct picture to the audience. If the interviews were genuine let the Chinese people and authorities see it and understand the workings of a democracy within a frame work of multitude of religions, languages, cultures and political mind-sets. Unless the Government wants to hide something, the show should go on without any withdrawls.
This is an absolute travesty. Every Indian has a their right to voice
their opinion. Have we gone the Chinese Government way of censorship.
So, in essence this was more of a propaganda of anti-India. Indian
Govt. has done the right thing by requesting the Chinese Govt. to sensor
it. I hope the Chinese govt agrees. But we know all too well, Chinese
Govt. may just rename it or move it to another location in the same
place.
May be, next India should do something similar .
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